In the Storm
by Liz Hollow
Summary: Dawn has hated thunderstorms ever since she was a kid, but now that she's Champion, she really should get over it. And who better to go to than Volkner, who knows all about thunder and lightning?


**In the Storm**

"Dawn, get off. It's just thunder."

I snuggled closer against my mom, wrapping my tiny arms around her waist and burying my face into her stomach. I was only six or seven then: my first thunderstorm—or the first one I could remember, anyway. And I hated every moment of it, every flash of lightning streaking the sky, every drop of rain that pelted the roof like bullets.

But out of all of it, I hated the thunder the most. At the echoing crack, as if someone had just snapped a whip right outside our house, I screamed against my mother's shirt. She patted my head, shushing me gently, but I could look back at that moment and know that she probably just wanted me to suck it up. I was young, and she would have to deal with this for years more, until I learned how to shut myself away in my bedroom and hide under my covers.

I cried in her arms until the storm passed. Thunderstorms weren't _common_ in Sinnoh, but they did occur every once in awhile, and I learned quickly how terrifying they were to me. I couldn't explain the fear; I wasn't afraid of the dark or the monsters under my bed, but the thunder would never bring me peace the way it did for some.

"See, Dawn, that wasn't so bad." My mom lifted me off her, which I now realized meant that she could've done it all along and chose not to, and poked my nose. I hiccupped and wiped my tears away with the back of my hand, and she smiled. "Ah, what a brave girl. It's just noise, just noise. It can't hurt you."

I believed her since the storm had already passed, and when the next storm came, I remembered what she said. But I also learned that it wasn't the thunder that killed—it was the lightning strike.

* * *

I bounded up the stairs to the solar-panel walkways that would connect me to the gym. "Big day today!" I called to no one in particular, but a friendly pedestrian gave me a thumbs-up. I laughed and waved, running along the path past the man. "Clear sky, no chance of rain—beautiful weather! What a day for a battle!"

And, boy, apparently the gym leader needed it. Some guy named Flint, apparently one of the Elite Four, had approached me upon entering the city and told me that the gym leader was in desperate need of a good battle. That was fine by me, anyway. It wasn't like I'd give anything less than my best, and if the gym leader was feeling down on his luck, I'd light things up.

I slowed to a walk as the gym came into view, and Flint with his frizzy red afro blocked the door. "Hey," I greeted.

"Yo. He hasn't come back yet. I'll keep an eye out here." He crossed his arms, and I couldn't help but notice that his afro bounced a little as he did. "I bet he's at the lighthouse. He goes there a lot. Mind taking a look?"

Well, so much for my exciting journey over here. But I smiled, anyway, and head back the way I came to go to the lighthouse. The man who gave me a thumbs up on my way over to the gym frowned at me this time, and I just shrugged. It couldn't be helped. I just couldn't let my energy drain. I needed to be pepped up for this.

I stood on my toes on the elevator ride up to the top of the lighthouse, and when it stopped, I didn't even wait until the doors opened all the way to get out.

There were a few people up in the lighthouse—a father and son for sure, so I doubted either was the gym leader. But there, standing with his face up against the pay-to-view binoculars, was a blond young man all by himself. That didn't mean much, really; I was by myself, too. But there was something about him…

I walked to his side, and when he didn't look up, I cleared my throat. "Hey, there, sorry to interrupt. Are you the gym leader? I want a battle!"

He still didn't look up. I ought to let him finish looking—he probably paid to use the binoculars, anyway, and he deserved to get his money worth as much as anyone. But I also got the impression that he was ignoring me on purpose. So, I did what anyone would do—probably—and stepped in front of the binoculars.

Sure enough, he finally looked up, but he wasn't exactly pleased about it. "Great, another kid who thinks she has what it takes."

"Kid?" I repeated, one eyebrow raised. What, was he a couple of years older than me? Like he had any right to call me a kid. "I don't think you know who you're talking to. I _do_ have what it takes to beat you."

The gym leader rolled his eyes, finally letting his gaze land on me. He was quiet for a minute, just watching me. I wanted to tell him to take a picture, but I didn't think he would appreciate the joke. He didn't seem like the type with a sense of humor—more like the brooding, attractive-but-an-asshole type.

"All right." He shrugged, but he didn't seem any more pleased. "If you can't beat me, then I'll go challenge the Elite Four. I finished the renovations on the gym and city, anyway, so I don't really need to be here." I wondered why he was telling me this, but I didn't say anything. "I just want a decent battle for once. So… you know, you should get yourself ready, because I'm the toughest gym leader in Sinnoh, and I won't go easy on you."

He walked away, clearly not planning on waiting for me, and I sighed. What a pleasant guy…

Well, at least he'd be back at the gym now—probably catching up with that Flint guy or something until I got there. At least Afro Man made up for the gym leader's crappy attitude. Somehow, I couldn't exactly see the two of them as friends, but Flint's concern seemed a little too deep for his job.

I ran a hand over the binoculars, wondering if there was still any juice in it. Sure enough, when I leaned into it, I could see through them to the water's edge.

"Stupid," I muttered, pivoting the binoculars to look around. But I froze on the horizon, where I could see a line of black clouds—coming this way. "Crap!"

I ran out of the lighthouse and sprinted towards the gym.

* * *

This was so not fair. There was no forecast for rain today. Now my whole day was going to be ruined—well, not if I could defeat the gym leader before the storm hit. And it wasn't _certain_ that it would be a thunderstorm, anyway. If it was just a little rain…

I winced at the sound of the first rumble, hoping that the sound was just a garbage truck or something. There was a chance, right?

"Hey, there!"

Flint waved as I approached the gym, and I wanted to suggest we take this inside. But before I could open my mouth, he announced, "He's back! He's looking pretty upbeat, too, actually—said he had a challenger with a bit of a flare. I bet he could tell you're strong. He's probably excited." Flint grinned, but I just gritted my teeth. Really? That was the gym leader excited? I'd hate to see him annoyed… "Well, you know what you have to do. I'll see you around at the Pokémon League."

Ah, such faith that his friend would win. I wouldn't be beaten, anyway.

I waved Flint off and scooted inside the gym, safe from the impending storm—and I wouldn't hear the thunder, at least. It was so loud in here, with all these gears all over the place, that I'd be lucky to hear myself think. The gym leader mentioned having just renovated the gym; this was a bit much.

I glanced at the engraved statue near the entrance: _Volkner_… _Electric-type_…

Great. Just what I needed.

After defeating his gym trainers with relative ease, I headed towards his platform in the back of the gym. All I had to do was give him a battle that'd reignite his interest in battling, right? Maybe that was easier said than done. I could beat him… I believed that, at least. But could I actually make it fun for him?

"Uh, hi."

Volkner stood up from his chair and raised a finger in a half-hearted greeting. "All right," he muttered, as if he just wanted to get this over with. Damn. "Every once in awhile I'll get challengers, but the battles are always boring. No thought involved." He sighed, rubbing his eyebrow. "I'm Volkner, the Sunyshore Gym Leader. They say I'm the top gym leader in Sinnoh, but…" He paused again, and I smiled weakly at him. What did this guy need for some encouragement? "Anyway, might as well do this thing. At least try to make it fun."

"Not a problem!" I announced cheerfully, but he just sighed again and sent out a Raichu. It had to be more excited than he was. I clicked a Poké Ball off my belt and sent out my first Pokémon. "I'm counting on you, Garchomp."

At the very least, Volkner seemed surprised by my first choice. There was a hint of a smile, but he covered his mouth with his hand before I could confirm that. "Raichu, use Brick Break," he said quietly, just barely audible over the clanking of the gears in the room.

His Raichu heard him loud and clear, however, and charged at my Garchomp. The little rat had the advantage of speed over my dragon, and it hit with full force. Garchomp slid backwards along the floor from the attack, its eyes squeezed shut. I looked immediately at Volkner, who seemed a bit disappointed—until my Garchomp opened its eyes again.

"Show 'em how it's done," I called. "Earthquake."

Garchomp stomped on the floor, and the whole building shook. I put my hands on my hips, standing tall through the whole attack, but even Volkner grabbed onto one of the nearby railings to keep himself standing. I couldn't help but laugh at the sight.

His Raichu fell to the attack, and I snapped my fingers. "Yes." This could go in my favor.

Volkner's face lit up, and he leaned over the railing he had grabbed. "All right, you're good!" he told me. "But don't count us out yet. Octillery!"

Oc-_Octillery_?

Just comparing size, Garchomp had the advantage over the small octopus. But Octillery was a water-type, giving it a slight advantage over my Pokémon—more than his Raichu had, anyway. I had to admit, Volkner was smart. I could give him that. He had to know that trainers would bring ground-type Pokémon to a battle against an electric-type specialist.

"Ice Beam!"

I braced myself, knowing that Garchomp wouldn't be able to handle that damage. But I couldn't stifle a wince as my dragon hit the floor. I shook my head and waved a finger at Volkner. "You're good, too. There goes my advantage. For now."

Grabbing another ball, I sent out the second best hope I had. My Leafeon mewed as it entered the playing field, rubbing its face with a paw.

"Give another Ice Beam a go," Volkner ordered.

"You have the speed advantage. Giga Drain!" I called.

Leafeon got the hit first, stopping the Ice Beam and taking the round. The smile that I thought I saw earlier revealed itself. Ah, that was nice. When he smiled, he actually seemed like he could be a pleasant guy. I wanted more. I needed to get more out of him than that.

Next, he sent out an Ambipom, and with Agility, its speed outmatched Leafeon's. I grimaced, watching the monkey's electric shocks hit and keep hitting. The blows were glancing, but they came so quickly and so frequently that Leafeon didn't stand much of a change. But it did manage some substantial damage before it fell. If I could get one more hit…

"Don't mind. Infernape's got this," I whispered to myself.

And it did. With a quick blow from my side, Ambipom was down.

"Ah, you've almost got me. But here's my trump card," Volkner shouted to me, and I nodded. A Luxray entered the field, its eyes just as focused as Volkner's. They had a strong bond… well, trump card or not, I had a few more tricks up my sleeve, too.

"Thunderbolt!"

The Luxray opened its mouth and roared, and a blast like lightning erupted from above Infernape. I couldn't stop myself from turning away, unable to even look at the bolt. The crack of thunder that followed the hit brought me to my knees, and I curled my fingers into my hands. When I stood up again, I avoided looking at Volkner.

What a stupid moment of weakness…

I wanted this over with. "Close Combat!"

Infernape dove for Luxray with a fury of hits, and my fists tightened further. I could feel my nails breaking the skin of my palms. If this didn't finish it off, Infernape was done for.

As Luxray fell to the ground, I exhaled and let my fist fall open again. I won… and did that mean that I had given Volkner a good enough show to convince him to stay?

When I looked over at Volkner, he was bent over the railing, his head in his arms. I hurried over to him, panicked for a moment that I had gone a little overboard, and touched his back. He threw his head back, laughing so hysterically that I couldn't help but chuckle alongside him, if only because it was so ridiculous.

"Wow! That was the most fun I've had since… I don't know when!" he told me, wiping his eyes once he finished laughing. He reached into his pocket and held out his badge to me. "Here, you deserve this. It will allow you access to the Pokémon League. I hope you're planning on taking the challenge."

I nodded, taking the badge from him. When I smiled at him, he smiled back. How weird…

"Thanks. Then… I'll see you."

I flipped the badge over and over in my hand as I walked back to the entrance. With this, I could finally do what I set out to do—no more Team Galactic to deal with, no more gym leaders. It was just the Elite Four between me and becoming the Champion now.

Well, that and a thunderstorm.

I stepped outside into a gust of wind and rain, and the thunder roared loud and strong. I leaned against the wall of the gym, dry under the small awning around the roof. I couldn't go back inside… my pride was too strong for that. If I went back in, Volkner would just ask questions. But I couldn't keep walking, either…

I slid down against the wall and curled up, pulling my knees against my chest and closing my eyes. At the crack of more thunder, I whimpered and covered my ears with my hands. It didn't drown it out completely, but nothing ever did.

The rain fell harder and softer over the course of several minutes like a wave, but the thunder just got louder and louder. Even with my eyes shut, I could see the flashes of light from the lightning, and the thunder that coupled with it came immediately. The storm was right over us, and I was stuck outside…

"What are you doing?"

I lowered my hands and looked up. Volkner grabbed my arm and pulled me back inside to the gym—the glorious dry and loud gym.

"You're soaked," he observed. "Hold on a minute."

He hurried off and returned a minute later with a towel, which—instead of handing to me like a normal person—he threw over my head. I rubbed my hair with it, shooting him a look but biting my tongue.

"That explains a lot," Volkner said. He had to be referring to that moment in the battle that I reacted to Luxray's Thunderbolt. "You know, you could've waited in here for the storm to pass if you're scared of thunderstorms."

"I'm not scared," I muttered quickly, angrily, and he laughed.

"Oh, not scared? You want to go back outside?"

I narrowed my eyes. He caught me. "Fine. I'm scared of thunder—always have been, ever since I was little. Not my fault."

He grinned. Why did he have to be all sunshine and smiles _now_? I should've left him the way he was before; it was less annoying.

"I can call in a favor," he offered.

I pulled the towel over my eyes, burying my face in the cloth. My pride. It hurt. "No," I finally said into the towel. I handed it back to Volkner, who raised his eyebrows. "I'll be fine. I've always been fine. It's not like it's inhibiting me from doing anything." I leaned against the door and glanced outside. "Looks like the storm's passing. Thanks for the towel."

He shrugged and waved me off. "Whatever. See you."

* * *

"Cheers!"

I held up my drink, a bit of champagne that was totally almost legal to have (in a few months, anyway), and laughed as a dozen other glasses clanked against mine. Cries of joy and elation erupted from the crowd around me, and I downed the contents of my glass. Even more cheers, particularly from my friends, followed this.

Barry, my best friend, slung an arm around my shoulders and leaned his face against mine. "You beat me to the punch. I'll give you that."

I pushed him off of me, but we both laughed. I wasn't really the touchy-feely type, but I gave him a quick peck on the cheek, anyway. "If it weren't for you, I wouldn't have become Champion. You're the one who grabbed the first Poké Ball that day, Barry. So, thank you. I think I owe you big time, huh?"

He nodded, beaming at me with his eyes squeezed shut. "A million dollars."

Then, he waved a bunch of people over and scooped me up, and the crowd lifted me into the air. I ignored the hands touching my butt and let them fling me up and down. Everyone laughed and cheered, and with that, the party was really started.

Until the storm.

At first, I thought the grumble was just the loud mutterings of everyone crammed into my house. But then it got louder and darker, and the sky opened up and unleashed its wrath. The flashes of lightning were easily mistaken as camera flashes, but I recognized it right away. And I couldn't control myself.

I excused myself from a conversation with Lucas and ran into my room, jumping under the covers of my bed. I was there for several minutes, my pillow pressed over my head, before anyone came looking for me.

"Dawn? You in here?" The door to my room creaked open, and my grip on my pillow tightened. "What are you doing?"

I hummed in response instead of actually giving one. The person walked closer and pulled the sheets off of me, and I winced. But when she tried to grab my pillow, I only squeezed it closer to me, and she gave up.

"Oh, she's afraid of thunderstorms. This is normal."

Barry's voice.

"Normal? Isn't she Champion? And she's scared of thunder?" the other person scoffed.

A particularly loud boom of thunder came then, and I couldn't suppress a whimper. I could hear whoever it was with Barry laughing, and my eyes welled with tears. It was just the alcohol making me emotional, right? I wouldn't let this get to me; I _was_ the Champion now.

I wasn't scared of thunder…

"Well, we'll be waiting for you when you're ready, _Champion_ Dawn."

And the tears poured out.

* * *

I stormed past the trainers, each staring at the floor as I passed, and made my way to the back of the gym. When the blond bastard noticed me approaching, he smiled—actually smiled—and stood up from the comfort of his indoor lawn chair. I wasn't as happy-go-lucky as the last time we met, that was for sure.

"I'm scared of thunder," I admitted, skipping the formalities. Volkner's genuine smile changed into a smirk, the curl of his lip subtle enough that the change was difficult to notice. "You still think you could call in that favor?"

"Sure. But why?"

"Because I'm the Champion. I shouldn't be afraid of anything, right?" I couldn't help but think that my voice sounded a bit older now, a bit more mature. Maybe it was just me.

Volkner furrowed his eyebrows, clearly skeptical. "Eh, not exactly. I'm not sure that's how it works. You're still human, aren't you?" When I didn't respond—how could I, anyway—he sighed. "I'll try to help you, but I think you're going into this for the wrong reasons. Everyone is afraid of something. Nothing wrong with that."

Now I was skeptical, but I still chose not to say anything. If he was going to help me, he was going to help me. We didn't need to be friends, he didn't need to be a guidance counselor, and I sure as hell didn't feel any obligation to answer his questions. At the end of the day, he was just a gym leader.

No, I was being mean. Volkner wasn't a bad guy. I was just… embarrassed.

"Sorry, Volkner. I'm being rude," I apologized. "What are you afraid of?"

He shrugged—I probably deserved that. But I _did_ wonder what it was that he was scared of, since it probably wasn't quite so irrational as my fear of thunder. It'd be fun if it was, though—he could be scared of bug-type Pokémon or heights or roller coasters.

Volkner glanced up at the clock on the wall behind him. "I have some time now. Want to go?"

* * *

"What the hell, Volkner?" I demanded, staring at the scorched patch of grass on the ground less than a foot away from me. Anyone else witnessing this scene would probably be concerned, but that was why we were in the middle of the woods where no one would see us.

Volkner's methods of curing my phobia were, to put it lightly, unorthodox. But he argued that the best way to get over a fear was to immerse myself in it—to make it a part of my being. I didn't realize that this meant practically being struck by lightning. If anything, I was more terrified now than I was fifteen minutes ago when we started.

His Luxray brushed its head against my arm, but I jumped back at the touch. I knew that Luxray wouldn't hurt me—for some reason, it liked me and kept wanting me to pet it—but the fact that it kept using Thunder right in front of me was a little disconcerting. I did feel a little guilty, though, so when it rubbed under my arm again, I finally scratched behind its ears.

"Luxray, go again. Thunder," Volkner said, not giving much of a chance for Luxray to show its affection for me.

"Seriously?"

The Pokémon backed away from me and roared, and another bolt of lightning shot from the sky right in front of me. The boom of thunder was almost simultaneous, and I covered my ears.

"Stop, stop!" I shouted. "I don't want to do this anymore."

Volkner sighed, but he didn't argue with me. He sent his Luxray back into its Poké Ball, and I collapsed on the ground in relief and squeezed my eyes shut. That was horrible. Volkner had to be some sort of sadist or something.

When I opened my eyes again, Volkner was standing above me with his hands on his hips and an eyebrow raised. "You're really scared, huh?"

I held a hand up towards him, and he yanked me back to my feet. "I told you. I wasn't lying."

"I didn't say you were. But, Dawn, I'm serious—it's okay to be afraid." His voice went soft, and this momentary concern for me was strangely flattering. "We don't have to do this if you don't want to. It's not as if being afraid of thunder and lightning is really inhibiting you at all."

"Yes, it is." I sighed. I knew that I was just letting it inhibit me by being so concerned about my fear, but I didn't say anything. "When are you free again?"

I couldn't miss the disappointment in his gaze now. "Whenever you are."

* * *

We met like that three days every week for the next month. As much as I hated my "training", I looked forward to seeing Volkner. I knew I oughtn't let myself get too close to him, but I kind of liked the way my stomach hurt whenever I looked at him. If Volkner was a sadist, maybe I was a masochist.

But every time we met, Volkner would try to talk me out of coming next time. "You don't need to do this," he'd say, or, "I think that's enough. You'll be fine."

I couldn't tell if he just didn't want to see me or what, but it hurt. The only thing that made me feel any better was that he never refused to meet once I told him I'd keep going. There was no way he hated me if he showed up every time. That was what I liked to tell myself, anyway, and it did a fine job convincing me.

When I showed up at his gym this time though, a little over a month since we started meeting, I found it locked. I banged on the door several times, calling his name, but a response never came.

Strange. I glanced at my Pokétch—it was the same time as always.

I sighed. He just forgot to tell me he wanted to cancel. That was it. Right?

I turned around and began to walk away when I saw a suspiciously blond man running towards the gym. He waved as he got closer, and I waited for him to come to me. "Sorry," Volkner greeted, a bit out of breath from his jog. "I, uh, thought I would beat you to the gym. I was setting some stuff up and… well, you'll see."

"Uh-oh," I joked, and he grinned.

"It's not bad. Come on."

He grabbed my hand and started running again. I followed behind—not really having a choice since his grip was pretty tight on my hand. His skin was warm and soft, as well as a bit sweaty, and that pain in my stomach returned.

I stared at the back of his head as we ran, wanting to reach up and touch his hair, but I fought off that strange urge. Stupid. I was stupid. That was it.

Volkner didn't bring me to the usual spot. He stopped running when we hit the edge of a different forest, one northwest of Sunyshore. "It gets a little steep," he warned and dropped my hand to hurtle over a boulder.

It _did_ get steep. We climbed on, and by the time we got to the top of the hill, my legs hurt. He would glance back at me a couple of times and laugh, though I wasn't sure at what, and I'd stick my tongue out at him once he faced forward again.

But the view at the top couldn't be denied. I stepped forward to the edge of the rock, where the earth dropped off and led to a fifty-foot drop into the sea below, and stared in wonder. We were standing right above Sunyshore, and I could see everything—the lighthouse, the gym, all of the houses, the beach…

And there, out on the horizon above the water, were the blue beginnings of storm clouds. The sky was darkening as the clouds approached, the purple hues from the sun and clouds creating a ominously beautiful scene. It would be at Sunyshore soon.

"I have different plans for today," Volkner explained, and when I tore my eyes from the impending storm to look at him, he gestured to a blanket just off to the side of this rock. "Take a seat."

I nodded, and once I was situated on the blanket, Volkner sat down next to me. His knee was dangerously close to touching mine, but I didn't shift away. If anything, I wanted him to touch me, but I wouldn't make the first move.

Because I was so distracted by his proximity, I missed the first lightning strike. What I didn't miss, however, was the thunder. It was a soft grumble, enough to make my heartbeat increase, and I glanced at Volkner's face. He looked like a little kid on Christmas.

"Did you see that? Amazing."

_This_ was his plan for today? He wanted to watch the thunderstorm?

I turned my attention to the storm at the right time—a bolt of lightning streaked across the sky and disappeared into the sea, and I leaned forward. The clouds darkened behind it during the brief flash, and I could see all of the layers. The thunder was still quiet since it was far enough away, but it was enough to make me shiver.

The clouds faded into the ocean with the rain, as if someone had taken a paintbrush and smeared the canvas in front of me. The lightning continued and the thunder got louder as the minutes ticked on, but even I had to admit that from this far away, it was really something.

"It's beautiful," I admitted, looking at Volkner, and he looked at me. My heart skipped a beat, and I forced myself to focus on the storm again.

"Yeah…" His voice was hesitant. "So, you're not scared?"

"Not right now." When he hummed a little too knowingly, I smirked. "I will be when it gets here, trust me."

"Well, at least you admit that it's beautiful from back here." He sighed and fell back against the blanket, his head propped up slightly by his hands. "Hey, Dawn, what else are you afraid of?"

I wanted to say nothing, but both of us knew that was a lie. "Um," I pondered, watching as another bolt of lightning struck the sea. "Escalators. I'll always take the elevator or the stairs." Volkner laughed at that one. "Also… horror films. I know they're stupid and predictable, but I can't help jumping when the guy with the knife pops out of the closet."

We chuckled over that for a minute, and I lay down beside him on the blanket. The clouds were darkening above us as the storm got closer.

"You never told me what you're afraid of," I accused.

"Ah, you got me." He laughed again. "Bug-type Pokémon, actually… Creepy-crawly things." His cheeks flushed at this, and I stopped myself from smiling. "Uh, having to give up my position as gym leader. I'm scared of that happening. I didn't really want to battle the Elite Four. Flint pisses me off when we battle."

I could imagine that. Flint was a very enthusiastic battler, which, on the one hand, brought out the best in people but, on the other, could be a bit annoying. And I imagined the two friends picked on each other whenever they battled.

"What else?"

He shot me a look. "You're demanding." When I gave him a toothy grin, he rolled his eyes. "Fine. You."

I expected him to say something else, and when he didn't, I sat up. "Huh?"

"You. I'm afraid of you."

The thunder rumbled loud and clear now, enough to send a shock through my body. My hands were shaking again, like they always did during a storm. When I looked up at the sky, a raindrop landed on my cheek, sliding down like a tear until it fell off my skin. Another drop hit and then another and another.

"Why me?"

Volkner sat up beside me now, holding his hand out and letting a couple of raindrops hit his palm. "You're strong, but you think you're weak. And that's absolutely terrifying."

The rain fell steadily now, and the flashes of lightning were above us. I curled my hands into fists to hide the fact that I was still shaking. Whether I was shaking from the thunder or from Volkner's words, I couldn't exactly tell.

"Let's go before the storm gets worse," I managed to squeak.

We stood up and collected the blanket, which Volkner let me throw over my head to protect myself from the rain. The journey down the hill was not as difficult as the trek up—but my chest hurt for some reason, and I wouldn't stop shaking.

A particularly strong crack of thunder brought me to my knees just as we cleared the edge of the forest, and I pulled the blanket tighter over my head. No… after all of these weeks, I was still afraid… it was beautiful from afar, but once it got too closer for comfort…

"You'll be okay."

Volkner snuck under the blanket with me so that it covered both of us, and enough light peeked through the thin fabric that I could make out his figure in front of me. He, too, had gone to his knees, his touching mine. I lowered my hands from my ears and touched him with a trembling hand. The skin of his cheeks was damp from the rain.

"You're not weak," he told me, and I lowered my hand. "It's okay to be afraid, and you don't need to be embarrassed about it. Just because you're the Champion doesn't mean you have to be superhuman. You're strong, not invincible."

"They made fun of me," I whispered.

"Then show them that it doesn't matter—that you're still stronger than they are. Admit to yourself that you're afraid and that you can't change that, and then use it to fuel your passion. _That's_ what this is about." Volkner sighed, and my lip trembled. What could I say to that? "I can't do anything for you—I can't make you any less scared, and that's what scares _me_. But I _can_ show you that the storm is both beautiful and dangerous."

I nodded, breathing deep as the thunder rumbled again. "It is. _So_ beautiful."

In one swift motion, I flung the blanket off our heads and let the rain pour on us. I tilted my head up towards the sky, letting the drops hit me and roll off, and when I opened my eyes and looked at Volkner again, I saw he had done the same. He laughed and held his hands out, so alive in the storm.

"I'm afraid of you!" I shouted to the sky, to the thunder and the lightning, and Volkner cheered. "I'm afraid of you! I'm afraid!"

We stared at each other once my throat went dry, and I smiled through my huffing and puffing. Then, he stood up and held out his hand, yanking me to my feet beside him. "Run," he whispered, and we sprinted back towards Sunyshore. For some reason, and I didn't know why, I couldn't contain my giggles.

Volkner struggled to unlock the gym door, but when he did, we poured through like water and collapsed against the floor.

I shouldn't…

But I would.

I rolled over and placed myself on top of him, and when he looked up, I kissed him. He reached a hand into my hair, his pinky resting on my cheek, and all I could think of was that I was touching him and he was touching me. The feel of his lips against mine, the dampness of our skin, the way his hand got stuck in my wet knotted hair.

Maybe this wasn't what Volkner meant by using my fear to fuel my passion, but it was one way to look at things.

"Is that okay?" I asked, rolling off and just lying on the floor beside him.

He nodded just as the thunder roared again, and when I flinched at the sound, he grabbed my hand. "Are _you_ okay?"

"I'll be fine." I smiled, and Volkner—the one I assumed a jerk but who was only afraid of giving up his gym—sat up on his elbow. His expression was soft. He knew all along that I'd come to terms with this, didn't he?

"But," I added, "when the storm passes, I'll be even better."

* * *

**Author's Note:** My original plan for this fic was that the male character was going to be the one with the fear of thunder/lightning, but I couldn't find a suitable character (one that I like, anyway). I wonder…

Well, this is the final product, anyway. This was long and took me forever to write, haha. I hope you enjoy! :)

In other news, this is my 60th fanfic on this site. I need to get a life.


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